Rudder assembly



26, 1948. T. SPRAGUE, IY' 2,452,334

RUDDER- ASSEMBLY Filed. Nov. 23, 1945 I I 717547502? .527)? 225, [V

Patented Oct. 26, 1948 RUDDER ASSEMBLY 'Theddor Spraigua-HV; New'orleans; La:,'- assignor 'totAndrewJufligginsi New orleans, La. r

.I. ApplicationNoveinbe'r 23, 1945,-\Serial -No.-630,159

l This invention relatesto"rudderassemblies for boats.

An object of the" invention is theprovision'of a rudder assembly '-in"which a'support' for" the rudder and rudder stock is secured "to, the bottom of aboat, such as a-runabout; a'sle'eve'depending from the bottom of the support having therein a leak-proof grease chamberof sufiicient capacity to supply lubricant to the rotatable stock *and associatedbearings" for an entire season.

Another object of the'inventionis the provision of arudder assembly in-which a removabl'emeans is "connected to a fixed part of'theasseinbly-with aring at theupp'er' end of' said-means 'above'the deck, the fixed partiof the assembly being secured to the bottom planking-ofa'boat'so that the'strain of lifting is eliminated from the "deck.

A*further object of theinventionis"the*1provision of a rudder-assemblyin which 'the rudder and stock are iormed-incnepiece'with the stock being mounted "in spaced bearings" formed-"on a reinforced bracket which is=-providedwith a base plate secured to the bottom planking of 'a' boat, a sleeve dependingfromsaid baseplateand en'- closing a portion 'of'the" stock'and having a chamber thereinfor lubric'antwhich is in contact with the enclosed-portion of said'stock; said'chamher being sealed against" the "losso'f lubricant.

A still' further object' of -'the"=invention"isi the provisionof a rudder assemblyin 'which astock forming a rotatable "shaft for a rudder ismounted in spaced-bearings of a support mountedpn the bottom planking of a boat;said-stockhaving a cylindrical' portion, and a lower taperedportion, asleeve depending-from the support forming one ofthebearings and having 'a' lubricant chamber therein surrounding the lower tapered-portion, a ring: of greater 'diameterthan the base of the tapered portion fitting neatly into an annular groove in thelowerend"of'the'sleeve and formed integrally with the stock.

The invention may be furtherbri'efiy summarized as consisting in-.certain novel details of a 7 Claims. (Cli 114'--"-1 69) 2 'Figur'e 3Jis a" view in perspective of'therudder assembly, with the parts in detached relation,

Referring more. particularly to the drawings,

"it! designates a pleasure boat having a keel 'H',

a bottomplanking""l2,"and deck portions '13 and I4.

The fcrwardendof the boat is provided with a Sampson postidhaving a plate lfi'on the'lower end which issecured in any'suitable manner to the bottom planking l2J-This post'rises through the deck 13 and has aneye ll to receive a'ring 18;130 which isadapted to be attached 'an'elevating rope or cable (notshown). "The rear end or "stern of the boatisequipped with a rudder assembly, generally'designated by the numeral "-20. The assembly includes acasting in the form of a" bracket 2|, which *has' an internally threaded socket-"22 to receive thelower threaded portion of a lifting'rod 23. Thisrod extendsupwardly through an opening in the-deck portion '14 where it terminates in an eye 24; receiving a ring 25. Abaseplate '26 of the bracket is bolted to the inner face-of the bottom planking "I2. A rope or cable may be attached removably 25 to thering 25.' It will'be noted from 'this'c'onconstruction and combinations and arrangements 7 of parts which are illustratediin the accompanying-drawings, whichwil'l be described in the spec ification, and set forth in the appended claims.

The structure which embodies the features of the invention is illustrated clearly in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal side view of a boat showing my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the rudder assembly, and

struction that when 'theboat is raisedor lowered by any form of lifting means; no strain'is'placed on-"the deck; eitherat the-bow or stem of the boatysin'cethe-Sampson-post 15 and the bracket 20 are secured to amore stable part, such asthe bottom planking l2.

The rudder. assembly includes-the-bracket2|, having the flat base plate26, an upstanding rear wall 2'! and a forwardly projecting web "28 which not only reinforces the bracket by its integral connection between rear wall- Zland the baseplate 26, but which provides a'bearing 29 for theupper end of a-stock30.

The upper end of the stock is cylindrical, as shown at 3!;170 receive a lock collar '32. "The collar'and upper endof the stock have alined perforations to receive a cotter pin '(not shown), by which the collar is secured. An intermediate portion 33 of Ithe st'ock is tapered and this tapered portion merges in-to'an intermediate cylin drical portion-34 and terminates in a frusto 'con icaliv portionilrSB and a' cylindrical' 'flange -GBof greater diameter than the base of the portion 35.

A rudder 31 which forms a one piece construction with the stock 30, depends from the stock below the bottom of the boat. The inner edge of the rudder is tapered and streamlined.

A sleeve 40 depends from the under face of the base plate 26 and in axial alinement with an opening 4| in said plate through which the stock 30 projects. This sleeve as shown more particularly in Figure 2, has a chamber A12 for lubricants, surrounding the frusto-conical portion 35 of the stock 30. The sleeve has a shoulder 43, which rests upon the top of the flange 36 on said stock. The lower end of the sleeve terminates in a flange 43 which houses the flange 36, and the sleeve 40 has a tapered zone 52 above the shoulder 43, which is in rotary sliding contact with the lower part of the frusto-conical portion 35 of the stock. In other words, the stock and sleeve have interfitted and complementary portions to prevent the loss of lubricant. A bushing 44 is seated in a bore 45, in the upper portion of the sleeve, and prevents the loss of lubricant from the chamber 42. The sleeve passes throughan opening in the bottom of the boat.

An operating arm 46 for the rudder 31 has an eye 41 at one end, which is received upon the cylindrical portion 34 of the stock adjacent the lower end of the taperedportion 33 of said stock. The inner wall .of the eye i'Lis provided with a key 48, which fits into a slot 49 formed in the stock, so that the arm 46 may be readily removed, when desired, and will rotate said stock when the arm is manipulated.

A channel 50 is formed in the sleeve 40, and connects the interior of the chamber 42 with a grease nipple i. Said channel extends through the base plate 26, the nipple being threaded into the mouth of the channel.

In order to remove the rudder from the assembly, it is only necessary to pull the cotterpin, remove the collar 32 from the upper end of the stock 39, whence the rudder and stock may be unshipped by tapping on the upper end of the stock until the arm 46 contacts the plate 26. Further tapping upon the end of the stock pushes the arm 46 off of the stock.

"While I have in the above description disclosed way of example and not to be construed as lirnit- I ing'the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. A rudder assembly comprising a bracket having bearings thereon, a rudder stock mount-.

ed in the bearings, one of the bearings being in the form of a sleeve depending from said bracket, said stock having a frusto-conical portion in the sleeve, said sleeve adjacent the frusto-conicai portion being hollowed out to form an annular chamber for lubricant, and a flange on the stock at the base of the conical portion, the sleeve having a shouldered recess neatly fitting said flange.

2. A rudder assembly comprising a bracket having a base portion, bearings on the bracket, a rudder stock received by the bearings, one of the bearings including a sleeve depending from the base portion, said stock having an enlarged portion within the sleeve, said sleeve having -a hollowed-out portion surrounding the enlarged portion toform a chamber for lubricant, the base portion having a nipple thereon, the base portion and sleeve being provided, with a channel con- 4 meeting the chamber with the nipple for supplying lubricant to said chamber, and complementary shouldered portions on the sleeve and stock for preventing the loss of lubricant from the sleeve.

3. In a rudder assembly for a boat, a bracket secured to the bottom of said boat for supporting a rudder and a related rotatable shaft for said 'rudderysaid bracket having an internally threaded socket, a rod having an eye at one end, the other end of said rod being threaded into the socket so that when a cable is secured to said eye, the boat may be raised with the strain being placed on the bottom of the boat.

4.; In arudder assembly for a boat, a bracket secured to the bottom planking of said boat for supporting a rotatable shaft and a rudder connected to the lower end of the shaft, a rod extending upwardly from the bracket and through the deck of said boat, means connecting the rod .to the bracket, and means on the upper end of the rod for attaching the rod to a lifting cable so that when. theboat is raised the strain will be placed on the bottom planking.

5 A rudder assembly for a boat comprising a bracket having a base secured to the bottom of a boat, hearings on the bracket, a rudder stock received by the bearings, one bearing depending from the base and passing through the bottom of the boat, the last mentioned bearing having a chamber therein for lubricant, the stock where embraced by the chamber in said bearing having atapered enlargement providing an annular inclined wall tothe chamber, the base and last mentioned bearinghaving a common channel for supplying lubricant to the chamber.

6. Rudder.assemblycomprising a bracket having an integral base plate adapted to be bolted to the keelfa nd, angularly thereto, an integral transom plate adapted to be bolted to the transom, an integral web rising from the rear of said base plate along the intermediate part of said transom plate having a forwardly directed upper arm, said'base plate having on the side opposite said web and forwardly thereof, a projecting cylindrical flange, aligned bearings in said" arm and base plate coaxial with said flange, a rudder having a shaft journaled in said bearings, having a portion closing the lower end of said. cylindrical flange forming therewith a sealed grease reservoir about said rudder shaft, and an operating member keyed to said rudder shaft betweensaid bearings.

5 l. Rudder assembly as claimed in claim 6, said bracket having. an upwardly directed socket adapted, to detachably receive a rod for securing a mooring'bitt.

THEODORE SPRAGUE, IV.

g I REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the v @39390 C zreat Britain May 18, 1938 

